Police push safety message after 11-year-old boy drowns at Surfside Beach over Memorial Day weekend

BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Surfside Beach police are urging beachgoers to follow safety guidelines following the tragic drowning of an 11-year-old Joshua Lahai over Memorial Day weekend.

First responders searched for Joshua for nearly 48 hours while the family waited for any news.

SEE ALSO: Body of 11-year-old swept away at Surfside Beach found after dayslong search, officers say

"God forbid anything did happen to him, we would at least want to have that closure of, we have a body. That's the worst, not knowing," Joshua's brother, Peter Lahai, said to ABC13 on Monday.

Joshua went under the water Sunday afternoon while visiting the beach with his youth football team, and by Tuesday afternoon, his body had been recovered half a mile away.

A handful of drownings happen every year at Surfside Beach, according to police chief Philip Hester, who said each one weighs heavily on first responders.

"It's still emotional. It was a very rough couple of days on the whole team," Hester said.

Hester said most drownings happen when someone goes beyond their personal limit. The deeper and farther out a person goes, the harder it is to reach them when they are in distress. Hester said Joshua was on an underwater sandbar when a wave washed him out to deeper water.

"Waist deep is great, you can sit down, you can do whatever, but trying to swim out as far as you can, trying to get to these sandbars, the sandbars move, the sandbars change, and it's just not safe," Hester said.

Surfside Beach doesn't have lifeguards, but police do patrol the beach. Chief Hester said preventive measures are your best bet for staying safe.

"Put a lifejacket on your kid, know the water, have some sort of flotation device," Hester said.

If an emergency does happen, the chief said to look toward the dunes. Lettered surfboards are located along the beach. When you call 911, let them know which surfboard you are near to help them provide a faster response.

And keep an eye out for safety flags, which are flown at beach entrance booths. Red flags indicate dangerous conditions, such as rip currents or high waves; a double red flag means stay out of the water altogether.

SEE ORIGINAL REPORT: Recovery search underway for child swept away by wave at Surfside Beach, police say